Caribbean Statisticians Focus on Population and Housing

Contact: Rose Marie Harris

Tuesday, January 18, 2000 – Caribbean statisticians are now drawing up plans for the introduction of a new census, which according to the officials will be "user-relevant".

Just back home, from the three-day 24^th Meeting of the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians, Saint Lucia’s Director of Statistics, Edwin St. Catherine says the island is well prepared to implement the new changes come May 2000. "We would however need the assistance of the Regional Support Centre, in terms of analysing the census data, looking at various aspects of it and the data, and developing analyses that are really relevant to specific interests groups within the country," said St. Catherine.

At present, the Statistical Department is preparing to hold discussions with the relevant stakeholders on the proposed questionnaire for the new census. Some five hundred persons will also be trained as enumerators for the May 2000 challenge.

In a brief address to the opening session of the meeting, CARICOM’s newly appointed Assistant Secretary General for Foreign and Community Relations, Albert Ramdin, underscored the need for sound statistics at both the national and regional levels. Ramdin said, "They assist governments and other decision makers to assess, with a greater degree of accuracy, the overall impact of developmental policies and programmes and provide means of enhancing their capabilities to formulate and implement more effective strategies."

Referring to the need for the expansion of statistical data, Mr. Ramdin said, "With the break of the 21^st century, and the priority emphasis to be placed on human development, it is time to give urgent consideration to the production of relevant non-traditional statistics, given the emergence of certain social and economic issues that affect our people."

The non-traditional areas include statistics relating to the environment, poverty, the availability and adequacy of health, education and other social services, drug abuse and the status of children, the elderly, women, the handicapped and other special groups.

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